Cobra Beer is a premium lager brand founded in 1989 by Lord Karan Bilimoria, who was born in India and studying in the United Kingdom at the time. Together with co-founder Arjun Reddy, Bilimoria started the brand with £20,000 of debt and a clear ambition: to create a beer that paired perfectly with Indian cuisine. His motivation was straightforward — Indian lagers were too gassy when enjoyed with food, while traditional British ales were too bitter and heavy. Cobra Beer was his answer: a smoother, less gassy premium lager rooted in Indian brewing tradition. The Cobra Beer portfolio is built around its flagship lager, brewed using a combination of traditional Indian ingredients and crafted for a noticeably smooth drinking experience. The range currently includes Cobra (4.5%), made with traditional Indian ingredients, as well as King Cobra Superior Strong Beer, produced through Molson Coors Cobra India — a venture chaired by Lord Bilimoria himself. The brand positions itself as a food-friendly beer, particularly suited to accompany Indian dishes, setting it apart from mainstream lager brands. From its origins in a student dorm room, Cobra Beer has grown into a globally recognised brand, sold in multiple countries and available across speciality retailers and Asian food stores worldwide. What began as a single beer has expanded into a broader portfolio, with the brand reportedly growing from zero to over 1,000 crore in value. Lord Bilimoria has since been elevated to the House of Lords, adding an extraordinary chapter to one of the most remarkable stories in modern beer history.